Yankees Sign Experienced MLB and NPB Pitcher Kenta Maeda

The New York Yankees have recently signed veteran pitcher Kenta Maeda, adding a player with extensive experience in Major League Baseball (MLB) and Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). According to reports from MLB.com, Maeda, a right-hander, has chosen to leave his contract with the Chicago Cubs and has agreed to a minor league deal with the Yankees. Maeda joined the Cubs in May on a minor league contract after being released from the Detroit Tigers. In his 12 starts with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, he posted a 5.97 ERA over 57 and one-third innings. Born in 1986, Maeda is well-known for his successful stint with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp in Japan from 2008 to 2015. During this period, he achieved the Japanese Triple Crown in 2010 and earned five All-Star selections, also winning the Sawamura Award — Japan's equivalent of the Cy Young — in 2010 and 2015. He transitioned to MLB by signing an eight-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers before the 2016 season, valued at $25 million plus incentives. Over his tenure with the Dodgers, which concluded after the 2019 season, Maeda appeared in 137 games (103 starts), accumulating a 3.87 ERA across 589 innings. In 2020, he was tra...